SALMOND IN THE DOCK
‘Allegations are deliberate fabrications for political purpose’
ALEX Salmond has told his trial he had a “consensual sexual liaison” with a woman who alleges he tried to rape her.
The former first minister took the witness stand for five hours yesterday to give evidence in his own defence.
Salmond, 65, told the jury at the High Court in Edinburgh that he had a “sexual encounter” with Woman H in Bute House, his official residence in Edinburgh, on her “initiative”.
Asked about a civil servant, Woman F, whose allegations saw him charged with intent to rape, Salmond said they’d had a consensual “sleepy cuddle”.
The former first minister faces 13 charges of alleged offences against nine women. He denies all the charges.
Describing himself as a “journalist, TV presenter, retired politician”, Salmond said: “From where I stand now, I wish I had been more careful with people’s personal space but there was no intention whatsoever to offend.”
But he told how “events are being reinterpreted and exaggerated” for a variety of reasons.
Salmond said among the allegations “some, not all, are fabrications, deliberate fabrications for a political purpose” while “some are exaggerations taken out of proportion”.
He added the “impact of some of the publicity over the last 18 months may have led some people, quite innocently perhaps, to revise their opinions and say, ‘Oh well, something happened to me.’”
Salmond agreed with his lawyer Gordon Jackson QC that “things that didn’t happen” or “innocent things” had been “turned into sexual offences”.
Under cross-examination, Alex Prentice QC asked Salmond if he was aware he inspired a “sense of fear” in staff and colleagues.
Salmond replied: “It was not my belief, intention or perception.”
WOMAN H
Salmond is accused of attempting to rape Woman H – a former Scottish Government official – in the Connery Room at Bute House in June 2014. She also said he sexually assaulted her in May that year in the same location.
Salmond said he’d had a consensual “sexual encounter” with Woman H “once and once only” at Bute House in August 2013. He said the liaison took place after “one thing led to another” – and on Woman H’s initiative – before “we both realised it wasn’t a good idea”.
Salmond said there had been “sexual behaviour” between them but “no sex”.
He added: “Neither party were naked but in a state of partial undress, in terms of buttons or whatever.
“It shouldn’t have happened but both of us agreed it would be put behind us.”
Salmond said there was no event at Bute House in May 2014 that Woman H could have been present at. The ex-SNP leader also said Woman H wasn’t present at a June 2014 event at Bute House after which he is accused of attempting to rape her. He added: “I say she wasn’t there.” Mr Jackson suggested if Woman H wasn’t at the dinner then she “told a pretty big story that isn’t true”. Salmond replied: “That’s correct.” The QC asked if there was any reason why Woman H may have made up the allegations.
Salmond replied he’d declined to support her in a work project.
Later Mr Prentice put it to Salmond that he attempted to rape Woman H.
Salmond replied: “I did not.”
WOMAN F
Salmond was asked about an alleged incident in December 2013 described by Woman F, who told how she was in a Bute House bedroom when the then first minister poured her drinks of the Chinese spirit Maotai.
He is accused of intent to rape her after allegedly climbing on top of her on a bed.
In his evidence, Salmond said they’d had a “light-hearted conversation” in the bedroom and “both” drank Maotai and each ended up “tipsy”.
Salmond said he went to give Woman F a “kiss goodnight” then “we lapsed” into a “sleepy cuddle” across the bed “with both our feet on the floor”. Asked why, Salmond said: “I don’t know the answer to that.”
He said it happened when they were both “tipsy” and “shouldn’t have happened”.
Salmond said Woman F was on the bed with “my left arm underneath her”.
Both their feet were still on the floor, he added, and it “was not particularly comfortable”. He said: “We were side by side, both fully dressed.”
This “lasted not more than a few seconds”, he added, and he was “saying nothing” to her.
He said: “I believe I kissed her on the cheek – not on the mouth.”
Then he said Woman F told him: “I’ll have to be going.”
Salmond said she then told him: “This is a bad idea.” He added he
“snapped” out of it and said: “This is a very bad idea.”
He apologised to Woman F about two weeks later, he said, after she raised the alleged incident with colleagues. He said: “I apologised. I was the first minister. She was in my bedroom. We were tipsy, it shouldn’t have happened.”
Salmond said Woman F had a “legitimate grievance, even if it wasn’t what actually happened and not what was presented at the time”.
Asked by Mr Jackson, Salmond denied he had an intent to rape Woman F, adding he’d never had “non-consensual sexual relations with anyone in my entire life”.
Woman F has also described an earlier incident at Bute House in late 2013 when Salmond allegedly kissed her on the mouth.
Salmond explained he’d tried to give her a “kiss goodnight”.
He added: “I meant to kiss her on the cheek but missed and kissed her on the mouth”. He said it was a “brief kiss” and not a “sexual kiss”.
WOMAN A
Salmond was asked about allegations by Woman A – a senior official in the Scottish Government – who said he gave her unwanted kisses on the lips and touched her bottom while they walked in 2008.
Salmond, who denied doing either, told his trial such behaviour would be “high risk” as reporters and many other people would be around.
Salmond said as first minister of Scotland people would be watching him in public places. He said he wouldn’t have inappropriately touched Woman A “under any circumstances”, but it would be “insane apart from anything else” during such public occasions.
He denied running his hands down her body at an Edinburgh nightclub in December 2010.
Salmond added: “What’s a fabrication is that on the dance floor I proceeded to sexually assault her.
“It’s not just a fabrication, it’s ludicrous. It makes no sense whatsoever and
Both of us agreed it would be put behind us
ALEX SALMOND ON ‘SEXUAL ENCOUNTER’ WITH WOMAN H
that’s because it’s not true. It is a fabrication, just as she has encouraged at least five other people to exaggerate or make claims against me.”
WOMAN B
Salmond was asked about allegations by Woman B that he forcefully tried to recreate a kissing scene from a Christmas card designed by artist Jack Vettriano by pulling her wrists.
He said: “I didn’t do that.” Salmond added: “I took her hands and said, ‘Let’s recreate the card’, but it was a joke. It was high jinks, a piece of fun.
“She said, ‘Don’t be daft’, and we sat back down again.”
He added: “I think over the passage of time the incident is misremembered.”
Mr Prentice later asked whether Salmond took into account Woman B’s feelings when he sought to recreate the kissing scene.
Salmond reiterated it was meant to be a “joke” and didn’t agree his behaviour was ”inappropriate”.
WOMAN D
Woman D – a civil servant – told how she fell asleep and awoke to find Salmond stroking her cheek. On other occasions, she said, he stroked her hair.
Salmond acknowledged he’d “tugged” her hair but said he did so “affectionately”. He added: “There was nothing sexual in it whatsoever.”
Salmond was asked if he stroked Woman D’s face while she was asleep.
He explained that he did it to wake her up in a “gentle not abrupt way” while they were in a car.
Later Mr Prentice asked if Salmond believed himself “so powerful” that he could reach out and touch the hair of Woman D in a lift in the presence of a civil servant. Salmond said he didn’t, adding: “I had no reason to believe she would have found that offensive”.
WOMAN J
Woman J – an SNP worker – accused Salmond of impersonating a zombie before trying to kiss her on the lips.
In his testimony, Salmond said he’d “tapped her on the nose” as he left her working on the computer but otherwise there was no physical contact with her.
Salmond agreed he’d given her a tour of Bute House and told a brief story about a man who suffered a “broken penis” but said he’d done “nothing improper”.
WOMAN C
Salmond was asked about Woman C, an SNP politician who alleged he put his hand on her “leg above her knee“for a lengthy period during a February 2011 journey in his government car in Edinburgh.
Mr Jackson asked if he “disputed” that had happened. Salmond replied: “Yes.” He recalled being in a car with her on an alternative date but that he spent most of the journey in conversation with another passenger.
Salmond said it would be “absolutely impossible” for him to put his hand on her leg for a number of minutes without being seen by the driver or front passenger.
WOMAN G
Woman G – a Scottish Government official – accused Salmond of smacking her buttocks at a Glasgow restaurant in March 2012.
Salmond said: “It didn’t happen.”
He added he put his hand on her “lower back” to hurry her up with a “gentle shove”.
He said there was “no sign she took any exception” to it. He added: “It was totally and absolutely harmless.”
WOMAN K
Salmond was asked about getting his photo taken with Woman K in late 2014. The former civil servant said he’d grabbed her backside during the snap. Salmond said: “I didn’t grab her bottom.” Mr Prentice later put it to Salmond that he “grabbed” Woman K’s backside because “you could”. Salmond said he did not.
The trial continues.
I took her hands and said, ‘Let’s recreate the card’, but it was a joke
ALEX SALMOND ON XMAS CARD CLAIM